Kåldolmar

Cabbage stuffed with beef, onion, rice, and spices with a light cream sauce and lingonberry jam

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City/Region: Sweden

Time Period: 1765

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When King Charles XII of Sweden returned to his homeland after mooching off Ahmed III in the Ottoman Empire for five years, many Ottomans came with him, mostly people he owed money to. They stayed in Sweden for decades, certainly long enough to influence Swedish cuisine.

Originally made with grape leaves (which are hard to come by in the far north), cabbage leaves were used to make these meat and rice dumplings. The mace and clove are quite different from modern versions, as well as the spherical shape. They’re super delicious and filling, and I especially like the sweet contrast of a bit of lingonberry jam.

You could use ground beef instead of mincing your own, but your resulting broth and sauce won’t be quite as flavorful without some bones. You likely don’t need to use the suet if you use ground beef.

“Take a fat quarter of veal… cut into small dice, and all sinews removed; thereafter it is somewhat chopped. All the kidney suet is cut into very small dice, and thereto is added a small handful of well-washed rice, pepper, mace, a little clove, salt, and onion; all this is well mixed together. Then take grape leaves, lightly parboiled [If grape leaves cannot be procured, cabbage leaves may be used instead] place a little of the meat in each leaf, fold the leaf around it, and form it round like a ball. The veal bones are… laid in the bottom of the pot, together with that which was trimmed from the meat. Upon this are laid the little balls, and so much cold water poured thereon that it scarcely covers what is laid therein. Add so much salt that the liquid is properly seasoned. A wooden plate is then laid within, with a small weight upon it; then let it boil covered for an hour and a half over a gentle fire. When they are served, pour their own sauce over them, which should then be no more than the dish will hold.”

— Hjelpreda I Hushållningen För Unga Fruentimber (A Household Guide for Young Ladies) by Cajsa Warg, 1765 edition

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Ingredients:

Kåldolmar

• 1/2 cup (100 g) uncooked rice
• 2-3 lbs (1-1.3 kg) beef with about equal parts bones and meat, enough for 1 lb (450 g) meat after removing it from the bones
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon mace
• Pinch cloves
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more for the water
• 1/3 cup (35 g) suet
• 1 cup (150 g) diced yellow onion
• 1 head savoy or green cabbage

Sauce

• 1 cup (235 ml) cooking liquid from the kåldolmar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) cream

Instructions:

1. To make the dolmar: Rinse the rice well until the water runs clear, then soak it in some cool water for about 20 minutes.
2. While the rice soaks, cut the meat off the bones and dice it finely. Keep the bones and any sinew or fat.
3. Place the diced meat in a large bowl, then sprinkle pepper, mace, cloves, and the 2 1/2 teaspoons of salt over it. Mix well so that the spices are evenly distributed.
4. Mix the suet in until it’s evenly distributed, then mix in the onion. Drain the rice and mix it in as well. Set the mixture aside while you prepare the cabbage leaves.
5. Separate about 12 large cabbage leaves. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add the cabbage leaves. You may need to do this in batches depending on the size of your pot. Cover and boil them for 4 to 5 minutes, or until they’re nice and pliable. Remove them from the pot and set them aside to cool.
6. When the cabbage leaves are cool enough to handle, lay one out flat and cut off the thickest part of the stem. Kitchen scissors are helpful for this. Take about 2 tablespoons of the filling and shape it into a ball. Place it in the center of the leaf and wrap the leaf around the filling. Do your best to maintain the ball shape. Repeat until all of the leaves have been filled.
7. Take the bones, sinew, and any other trimmings from the meat and lay them out in the bottom of a large pot. Set the kåldolmar on top of that, the smoothest side up.
8. Prepare some salted water. The amount will depend on how big your pot is. You want to combine 2 teaspoons of coarse salt per 1 quart (1 L) of water. Stir until the salt dissolves. Pour the salt water into the pot until it just covers the kåldolmar.
9. Set a heat-proof plate (I used a regular ceramic plate) over the kåldolmar to keep them submerged. Set the pot over high heat and bring it to a boil. Skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and let it cook for 1 1/2 hours.
10. To make the sauce: When the kåldolmar are done, remove them from the pot, then pass the liquid through a strainer to remove the bones and any other bits. Take 1 cup (235 ml) of the liquid and put it in a small saucepan.
11. Whisk the flour in until combined, then whisk in the cream. Set the saucepan over medium heat and bring it to a gentle boil. Let it cook for about 7 minutes, or until it has thickened up a bit. It won’t be thick like a gravy, but more like a light sauce.
12. Plate the kåldolmar with a little of the sauce and a bit of lingonberry jam, if desired, and serve them forth.

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